The present invention relates to a power semiconductor module.
In order to make a power semiconductor module compact in size, it is necessary to minimize the size of a power semiconductor element or a cooling mechanism. For the miniaturization of the power semiconductor element, the element is required to reduce its loss. For the miniaturization of the cooling mechanism, it is effective to enable the element to be used at high temperatures. However, since the miniaturization involves an increase in heat generation density, more efficient cooling is required. The use of the element at high temperatures requires a reliability as high as endurable to thermal fatigue. JP-A-2003-17658 (Patent Document 1) discloses a structure wherein insulating substrates are provided each on the upper and lower surfaces of a power semiconductor, and heat sinks are provided at both sides of the semiconductor to cool the semiconductor from its upper and lower sides (refer to FIGS. 5 and 6, Paragraphs (0049)-(0056)).